The first weeks of Xabi Alonso's tenure at London club Chelsea demonstrate a deep structural overhaul affecting both the dressing room and the team's behaviour on the pitch.
Despite some fans' scepticism following the conceded goals during the Australian tour and a defeat to Tottenham (1-2) while down to ten men, the results of pre-season matches at this stage are secondary. What matters is how Alonso's foundation addresses two major problems from last season.
1. Mentality and dressing room cleaning
The main problem for the Blues in recent seasons has been the lack of a clear culture and discipline. Xabi Alonso, in conjunction with the management, has taken a tough approach to resolving this issue through the transfer market. The club is getting rid of players who do not provide the necessary return (the sale of Liam Delap, seeking options for Tosin Adarabioyo and Romeo Lavia) and signing players with high discipline and clear roles (Pep Chavarria, Valentín Barco).
2. Tactical hybrid in the style of Mikel Arteta
The second fundamental issue has been the mindless use of strict man-marking by previous coaches. Xabi Alonso is implementing a hybrid system: Chelsea sets up in a compact zonal structure in the middle block, and upon the opponent's backward pass, they instantly switch to aggressive man-marking.
This approach resembles how Mikel Arteta organises play at Arsenal—the team maintains minimal distances between lines and closes gaps in all phases of possession.
Errors in pre-season are a natural by-product of adapting to new complexities. The key point is that Chelsea has finally found a systematic idea and a coach who clearly knows how to implement it.
